The present invention is related to Japanese patent application No. Hei. 11-300210, filed Oct. 21, 1999; No. 2000-227500, filed Jul. 27, 2000; and No. 2000-250121, filed Aug. 21, 2000, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a vehicular air-conditioning apparatus, and more particularly, to a motor actuator and the operational force transmission device used for a vehicular air-conditioning apparatus.
Conventional vehicular air-conditioning apparatus is provided with an internal/external air selection door, a temperature control means (air mix door, hot water valve, etc.), as well as a blowout mode door, whereby these instruments are independently operated by means of manual operation mechanisms or motor actuators.
More recently, an increasing number of vehicular air-conditioning apparatuses are beginning to allow the driver to use switch operations for activating motor actuators to easily operate the aforementioned instruments. This type of apparatus requires dedicated motor actuators for internal/external air selection, temperature control, and blowout mode door switching, resulting in higher costs.
Therefore, the inventors evaluated the possibility of using a single motor actuator for temperature control and blowout mode switching, in order to reduce the number of motor actuators. That is, by focusing on the fact that correlation exists between the switching of the blowout mode and the operation position of the temperature control means, and by sequentially shifting the blowout mode from the face mode, to the bi-level mode, and then to lo the foot mode as the operation position of the temperature control means shifts from the low-temperature side to the high-temperature side, the inventors evaluated the possibility of using a single motor actuator for temperature control and blowout mode switching.
However, when temperature control and blowout mode switching are simply performed using a single motor actuator, the operating position of the temperature control means and the switching of the blowout mode are always fixed to a 1-to-1 relationship. Consequently, a problem arises, i.e., when the window is fogged up, it will not be possible to set the defroster mode regardless of the operating position of the temperature control means.
Note that Japanese patent application No. H4-131657 describes a vehicular air-conditioning apparatus that can drive multiple doors by means of a single motor actuator by providing electromagnetic clutches between a single drive shaft and multiple door shafts and using the interrupting action of this electromagnetic clutch for transmitting or shutting off the drive force of the single motor to individual doors.
However, with this conventional technology, it is necessary to provide electromagnetic clutches in the drive force transmission routes to the multiple doors. Consequently, even though the number of motor actuators can be reduced, multiple electromagnetic clutches must be added instead, making it impossible to avoid cost increases.
Moreover, it has been known that some conventional vehicular air-conditioning apparatuses use an internal/external air 2-layer flow mode, in which recirculated internal high-temperature air is blown out from the foot opening while warm low-moisture external air is blown out from the defroster opening. This both improves the heating performance in the area near the vehicle occupant""s feet and maintains the window glass fog-free when heating is used in winter.
However, vehicular air-conditioning apparatuses in which this internal/external air 2-layer flow mode can be set have the problem described below. Specifically, this internal/external air 2-layer flow mode is set when the maximum heating capacity is required (i.e., when the temperature control means, such as an air-mix door, is at the maximum heating position) in the blowout mode that opens both the foot and defroster openings. In the internal/external air 2-layer flow mode, the air passage is partitioned into an internal passage leading to the foot openings and an external passage leading to the defroster openings. At the same time, an internal/external air selection box introduces internal air into the internal passage by opening the internal air introduction port located on the internal passage side and introduces external air into the external passage by opening the external air introduction port located on the external passage side.
As explained above, the aforementioned internal/external air 2-layer flow mode must be set in linkage with the setting of the blowout mode for opening both the foot and defroster openings as well as the operation of the temperature control means to the maximum heating setting. Therefore, conventionally, the setting condition for the internal/external air 2-layer flow mode is determined by an air-conditioning control device based on the blowout mode and the operating position of the temperature control means. The output of this air-conditioning control device is added to the drive motor for the internal/external air door, thereby moving the internal/external air door to the 2-layer flow mode.
As described above, a method that sets the 2-layer flow mode through automatic control requires an electrical control area for determining the setting condition for the 2-layer flow mode as well as an electrically controlled door drive motor, thus leading to cost increases.
The present invention includes a drive motor, a first output shaft to which the rotation of drive motor is transmitted, a second output shaft to which the rotation of first output shaft is transmitted, a differential mechanism located between the first output shaft and second output shaft that adjusts the relative positions of the two output shafts, and an operation component that operates differential mechanism.
A temperature control means, which controls air temperature blown into the interior of the vehicle, is connected to first output shaft. Blowout mode doors are connected to second output shaft. When operation component is set to the auto blowout mode, the rotation of drive motor rotates first output shaft and second output shaft via differential mechanism at the same time. The rotation of first output shaft controls temperature control means. The rotation of second output shaft drives blowout mode doors, thereby switching between the face mode and the foot mode. When operation component is set to the defroster blowout mode while drive motor is stationary, differential mechanism is activated while first output shaft is stationary, thereby setting the defroster mode by rotating second output shaft and shifting the relative positions of the two output shafts.
Accordingly, switching between the blowout temperature control and blowout mode in a vehicular air-conditioning apparatus can be accomplished using a single motor actuator. Moreover, by shifting the relative positions of the two output shafts using differential mechanism, the defroster mode can be set while first output shaft is stationary. Therefore, no electromagnetic clutch is required in the drive force transmission route, as is the case in a conventional technology. Also, the defroster mode can be set any time when the windshield is fogged up, using a simple configuration.
In another aspect of the invention, the defroster mode is maintained even when a second output shaft rotates within a predetermined angle (xcex82) during the defroster mode.
Consequently, the rotation of the drive motor rotates the first output shaft, thereby controlling the position of the temperature control means and controlling the blowout temperature, while maintaining the defroster mode.
In another aspect of the invention, the first output shaft is positioned on one side of the axial direction of differential mechanism while a second output shaft is positioned on the other side of the axial direction of differential mechanism.
In another aspect of the invention, stopper means are provided, which restrict the rotation angle of second output shaft to a predetermined range (xcex81) when second output shaft is rotated by moving operation component to the defroster blowout mode.
In another aspect of the invention, the rotation angle (xcex81) of the second output shaft, rotated when an operation component is moved from the auto blowout mode to the defroster mode, is set larger than the rotation angle (xcex8) of second output shaft, which is rotated by the rotation of drive motor, when operation component is set to the auto blowout mode.
Consequently, regardless of the rotational position of the second output shaft during automatic control of the blowout mode, the defroster mode is set with the rotation of second output shaft. In another aspect of the invention, operation component is installed in an air-conditioning operation panel in a manually operable manner, and a differential mechanism is provided with a movable component that is activated by receiving the manual operation force from operation component.
In another aspect of the invention, the differential mechanism component is configured using a differential mechanism that uses bevel gears. In another aspect of the invention includes a drive motor, a first output shaft to which the rotation of drive motor is transmitted, a second output shaft to which the rotation of first output shaft is transmitted, a differential mechanism located between first output shaft and second output shaft and that can adjust the relative positions of the two output shafts (50a and 58a), and a movable component installed in a differential mechanism. A first slave component is connected to first output shaft while second slave components (20, 23, and 26) are connected to second output shaft. When the movable component is being set to the first operation position, the rotation of drive motor rotates the first output shaft and the second output shaft at the same time, via differential mechanism within a predetermined operation angle range. A First slave component and second slave components are activated in linkage through the rotation of first output shaft and the second output shaft. When movable component is set to the second operation position while drive motor is stopped, a differential mechanism is activated while the first output shaft is stationary, thereby rotating the second output shaft outside the aforementioned predetermined operation angle range by shifting the relative positions of the two output shafts (50a and 58a).
Consequently, first slave component and second slave components (20, 23, and 26) can be simultaneously activated in linkage based on the rotation of drive motor. Also, moving the second slave components (20, 23, and 26) to positions different from those when the drive motor is. active is accomplished by shifting the relative positions of the two output shafts by means of differential mechanism.
In another aspect, the rotation angle (xcex81) of the second output shaft, which is rotated when the movable component is moved from the first operation position to the second operation position, is set larger than the rotation angle (xcex8) of second output shaft, which is rotated by the rotation of drive motor, when the movable component is set to the first operation position.
In another aspect, the motor actuator described is used as a motor actuator for vehicular air-conditioning by using a temperature control means for controlling the air temperature blown into the cabin as first slave component and using blowout mode doors (20, 23, and 26) for switching blowout modes for the cabin, as second slave components.
In another aspect, a vehicular air-conditioning apparatus is provided with defroster openings for blowing air toward the vehicular window glass, foot openings for blowing air toward the foot area of the vehicle occupant, a first air passages (80 and 80a) for sending air to the defroster openings, a second air passages (81 and 81a) for sending air to foot openings, a first internal/external air selection door for switching the air introduced into first air passages between the internal and external air, a second internal/external air selection door for switching the air introduced into second air passages, a blowout mode operation component that is manually operated for selecting the blowout mode for the cabin, a blowout mode input component which rotates in linkage with the operation of blowout mode operation component, a temperature control operation component manually operated for controlling air temperature blown into the cabin, temperature control input components (200 and 119) which rotate in linkage with the operation of temperature control operation component, and with differential mechanisms which rotate output component using the rotational shift in all input components. An output component is connected to the operation area of second internal/external air selection door, and the mode for blowing out air from both the defroster opening and the foot opening is set by blowout mode operation component. At the same time, when temperature control operation component is set to the maximum heating setting, differential mechanisms rotate the output component to the predetermined position based on the rotational shifts of all input components. This sets the second internal/external air selection door to the position for introducing the internal air into the second air passages.
In another aspect of the invention, when the defroster mode for blowing out air from the defroster opening is set by the blowout mode operation component, differential mechanisms (98 and 98A) rotate the output component to the predetermined position based on the rotational shifts of blowout mode input component. Accordingly, the second internal/external air selection door is set to stop internal air from entering the second air passages. In another aspect, the shift adjustment mechanisms are installed between the output component and the second internal/external air selection door to adjust the shifts between the two components, and when the defroster mode is set, even if the rotational shifts of temperature control input components change the rotational position of output component, second internal/external air selection door can be maintained in the external air introduction position by means of shift adjustment mechanisms.
In another aspect, when a blowout mode other than the defroster mode is set by the blowout mode operation component and the temperature control operation component is set to the maximum cooling position, differential mechanisms rotate the output component to the predetermined position based on the rotational shifts of all input components, thereby setting the second internal/external air selection door for introducing internal air into second air passages.
In another aspect of the invention, the differential mechanisms use bevel gears. The rotational shifts of temperature control input components are input into the bevel gears.
In another aspect of the invention, shift adjustment mechanisms that adjust the shifts between two components are installed between the blowout mode operation component and the blowout mode input component, and between the temperature control operation component and the temperature control input components.
Another aspect of the invention provides defroster openings for blowing air toward the vehicular window glass, foot openings for blowing out air to the foot area of the vehicle occupant, an internal/external air selection door for switching the air sent to the cabin between internal and external air, an internal/external air operation component manually operated to switch between internal and external air introduction, a blowout mode operation component manually operated for selecting the blowout mode for the cabin, a blowout mode input component which rotates in linkage with the operation of blowout mode operation component, an internal/external air selection input component which rotates in linkage with the operation of internal/external air operation component, and with a differential mechanism which rotates output component using the rotational shift of both input components as inputs. The output component is connected to the operation area of internal/external air selection door. When the mode for blowing air from the defroster openings is set by the blowout mode operation component, differential mechanism rotates output component to predetermined position based on the rotational shifts of blowout mode input component, thereby maintaining internal/external air selection door in the external air introduction position. When a blowout mode other than the defroster-dominant mode is being set by blowout mode operation component, the differential mechanism rotates output component to the position that corresponds to the rotational shift of internal/external air selection input component. This sets the internal/external air selection door to the internal/external air mode set by blowout mode operation component.
In another aspect, shift adjustment mechanisms are installed between the output component and the internal/external air selection door to adjust the shifts between these two components. When the defroster-dominant mode is being set, even if the rotational shifts of temperature control input components cause the rotational position of output component, internal/external air selection door can be maintained in the external air introduction position by means of shift adjustment mechanisms.
Another aspect of the invention includes a temperature control means for controlling the air temperature blown into the cabin, blowout mode doors for switching the mode for blowing air into the cabin, a first transmission means for transmitting the operation of the temperature control operation component to the operation area of temperature control means, and a second transmission means for transmitting the operation of blowout mode operation component to the operation areas of blowout mode doors. Temperature control input components of differential mechanisms are rotated based on the shift transmitted from first transmission means. The blowout mode input component of the differential mechanisms is rotated based on the shift transmitted from second transmission means.
In another aspect of the invention, a vehicular air-conditioning apparatus has a temperature control means for controlling the air temperature blown into the cabin, face openings for blowing out air toward the head of the vehicle occupant in the cabin, foot openings for blowing out air toward the feet of the vehicle occupant in the cabin, defroster openings for blowing out air to the vehicular window glass, and blowout mode doors for opening/closing the individual openings, and that switches at least among the face mode for blowing out air from face opening, the foot mode for blowing out air from foot opening, and the defroster mode for blowing out air from defroster opening. There is further provided a drive motor, a first rotation shaft to which the rotation of drive motor is transmitted, a second rotation shaft to which the rotation of first rotation shaft is transmitted, a differential mechanism that is positioned between first rotation shaft and second rotation shaft for adjusting the relative positions of the two rotation shafts, and an operation component for operating differential mechanism. The temperature control means is connected to first rotation shaft, blowout mode doors are connected to second rotation shaft. When operation component is set to the auto blowout mode, the rotation of drive motor rotates first rotation shaft, and at the same time, rotates second rotation shaft via differential mechanism. Also, at the same time, the rotation of first rotation shaft controls temperature control means and the rotation of second rotation shaft drives blowout mode doors (20, 23, and 26), thereby switching between the face mode and the foot mode. When operation component is set to the face mode position, the foot mode position, or the defroster position of the blowout mode while drive motor is stopped, differential mechanism is activated while first rotation shaft is stationary, thereby setting the face mode, the foot mode, or the defroster mode by rotating second rotation shaft and changing the operation angle of second rotation shaft corresponding to the operation position of operation component.
In another aspect of the invention, an intermittent operation mechanism is provided between the second rotation shaft and the operation mechanism on the side of the blowout mode doors. The rotation of second rotation shaft is intermittently transmitted to the operation mechanism only within part of the operation angle of second rotation shaft.
In another aspect of the invention, a planetary gear mechanism is used for the differential mechanism, and the first rotation shaft is a sun gear shaft while the second rotation shaft is an internal gear shaft. A planetary gear is revolved by operating operation component.
Another aspect of the invention provides an operational force transmission device, provided with a first input component that rotates in linkage with the operation of first operation component, second input components that rotate in linkage with the second operation components, a differential mechanism that rotates output component using the rotational shift of all input components, and with slave components that are driven by the rotational shift of output component.
The differential mechanism rotates the output component to the first output position when all input components have rotated to their predetermined positions. The differential mechanism rotates the output component to the second output position when any of the input components rotates to a position different from the predetermined position. Also, shift adjustment mechanisms can be provided that are installed between output component and slave components for adjusting the shifts among these components. Here, a differential mechanism rotates output component within the predetermined range between first and second positions corresponding to the rotational shift of the first input component within the predetermined range, and moreover, output component is designed to rotate to a third position that is outside of the predetermined range based on the rotational shift of second input components. When output component rotates to the third position, the rotational shift of output component is not transmitted to slave components by shift adjustment mechanisms.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.